Are You the One?
Christmas is a season of great expectations. But if those expectations go unmet, they can lead to great disappointment! And great disappointment over unmet expectations can easily lead to doubt. That's true about our faith in Jesus as well. It happened to John the Baptist, and it can happen to us as well! So we look to the example of John the Baptist, as he takes his doubts to Jesus, and sees why we have no reason to doubt our Messiah!
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- Dec 11, 2022Are You the One?Are You the One?Christmas is a season of great expectations. But if those expectations go unmet, they can lead to great disappointment! And great disappointment over unmet expectations can easily lead to doubt. That's true about our faith in Jesus as well. It happened to John the Baptist, and it can happen to us as well! So we look to the example of John the Baptist, as he takes his doubts to Jesus, and sees why we have no reason to doubt our Messiah!
- Dec 4, 2022Rejoice to Meet the JudgeRejoice to Meet the JudgeA message of impending judgment hardly seems like the sentiment we'd want to hear during the Christmas season. But maybe it's the message we need to hear! Because Advent isn't just about preparing to meet Jesus, baby born in Bethlehem. It's also about preparing to meet Jesus, the Judge of all! The message of John the Baptist helps us see how we can be prepared to meet the Judge, not with fear, but with joyful, eager anticipation!
- Nov 30, 2022Trust in the PromiseTrust in the PromiseHow do you get ready for Christmas? Everyone's answer is probably a little different. But what's interesting is how often the things we do to get ready for Christmas, can often distract us from getting our hearts ready for what Christmas is really all about--the birth of our Savior. We'll look to Luke chapter 1, and the way God helped prepare one family for the first Christmas, so that we can get our hearts ready to meet our Lord when he comes--at Christmas, and at the Last Day, by doing 3 important things: 1.) Turn Your Heart 2.) Trust in the Promise 3.) Share the Knowledge of Salvation
- Nov 27, 2022See, Your King Comes to You!See, Your King Comes to You!Why would we focus on the events of Palm Sunday, when we're starting the season of Advent? Why focus on Jesus' riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, when our attention is on Jesus coming into the world as a little baby? Because in many ways, Palm Sunday and Advent focus our hearts on the same thing: Jesus Coming as King! Watch Pastor Troy's sermon to find the beautiful connections between Palm Sunday and the season of Advent!
- Nov 20, 2022Coaching Christians for LifeCoaching Christians for LifeWe conclude our Victory Vision series by talking about the second part of our mission and purpose as a church--Coaching Christians for Life. Why is "coaching" good imagery for this work of the church, and how does Jesus' parable about building on a solid foundation help us to see the importance of this Christian coaching through Word and Sacrament? Watch Pastor Troy's sermon to find out!
- Nov 6, 2022Grasp the Fullest Joy!Grasp the Fullest Joy!What is the greatest joy of Heaven? If we don't know how to answer that question, then our expectation and excitement about going to Heaven, and the comfort we can take in having loved ones who are there, might be incomplete! That's why Jesus shows us in today's sermon text that although our lives in Heaven and the relationships we'll have with others there won't be the same as our lives on earth, we don't have to be upset or heartbroken. Because it will be even better! Watch Pastor Troy's sermon from Saints Triumphant Sunday to see how.
- Oct 30, 2022The Freedom of the ChristianThe Freedom of the ChristianMost people think that being a Christian is all about morality--following the rules and being a good person. And therefore, most people assume being a Christian means not having freedom; being restricted in a biblical straitjacket. But in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Galatian Christians, we're reminded that neither of those statements are true! Watch Pastor Troy's sermon to see what the Bible is really all about, and the kind of freedom that we have in Christ Jesus!Sermon Text: Galatians 5:1-6
- Oct 23, 2022What a Gift!What a Gift!
- Oct 16, 2022Wrestling with GodWrestling with GodAn account about Jacob physically wrestling with God might seem like one of those Bible stories that doesn't really apply to us. However, what we learn from Jacob physically wrestling with God is incredibly important and applicable for us to know as we wrestle with God...in prayer! Learn how, when God appears to be our opponent, he's actually working to bless us!
- Oct 9, 2022Gratitude from the Generosity of the GiverGratitude from the Generosity of the GiverHow can we have more gratitude in our lives? If you Google it, you'll get 225 million results, everything from scholarly reports, business articles, and self-help blogs. We obviously understand it's important to be grateful. But we also must not have discovered the silver bullet if people keep writing these articles! However, in God's Word, we find the way we can truly have unwavering gratitude in our lives--it comes from focusing on the Giver, rather than the gift. As we examine the gratitude of a Samaritan Leper, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on how grateful we are to God in our lives, and to see the one all-important reason for our gratitude!
